This kitchen remodel of a 70’s home reflects the character of the existing home and some design features of that era while giving it a fresh, modern look. The client wanted the remodeled space to blend in with the rest of the home, retaining some of the 1970’s character while including all the best features of today’s kitchens. Removing the wall separating the informal eating area from the family room provided a nice open space allowing for a larger kitchen footprint and plenty of light throughout. A combination of Decor's Dove Wing painted and Natural stained Walnut cabinetry was chosen. The dark walnut, slab lower cabinets unite the kitchen with the darker wood theme found throughout the home, while the white, slim-shaker upper cabinets give the space a light and airy feeling. The beautiful vertical grain of the walnut is the foundation of a theme that is echoed throughout the space: tall & thin vertical lines without bulk or needless ornamentation. The unique design detail gives the kitchen a great balance of depth and character while still brightening the space. Walnut crown molding throughout defines the space and ties everything together. The vertical-set green Japanese tile from Virginia Tile, also characteristic of the 1970’s, serves as the backsplash and fills the range wall. The tall & slim theme is underscored by several design elements from the vertical tile and tall cabinet pulls in matte black from Top Knobs, to the thin quartz countertops, skinny shaker cabinet door style, and tall, slim refrigerator doors, all meant to eliminate excess bulk and lighten up the space. An impressive focal point in this kitchen is the custom walnut reeded hood, designed to reflect a popular 1970’s feature. Narrow walnut shelves below the white upper cabinets near the refrigerator provide a nice surprise to the eye. An extra long island, decked in polished 2cm Corian Quartz countertop in Novello, provides ample seating, storage, and task space, making it an ideal surface for serving, eating, meal prep, gathering, and entertaining. The client desired a long island with comfortable counter seating at one end for a family of five, including space for a baby’s high chair. High-end Bosch appliances and functional storage were also priorities. The dry bar on the opposite wall features additional storage and an Elica beverage refrigerator, framed by tall walnut larder cabinets on each end. The white larder cabinet doors pocket into the sides, revealing beautiful finished walnut interiors. Wall cabinets feature Decor’s integrated under-cabinet lighting, while puck lights illuminate the beverage center counter. This kitchen is bursting with integrated storage. Many deep drawers feature interior double drawers making smaller items more accessible. Decor’s spice drawer to the right of the range keeps spices organized, while divided tray storage on the left of the range keeps these taller items handy. While the design is inspired by the 1970’s, it exemplifies the best of the 2020’s, and the new space is open, bright, and functional for this family with young children.

Shoe storage under stairway
Example of a classic wooden staircase design in New York with white walls

Location: Brooklyn, NY, United States This brand-new townhouse at Pierhouse, Brooklyn was a gorgeous space, but was crying out for some personalization to reflect our clients vivid, sophisticated and lively design aesthetic. Bold Patterns and Colors were our friends in this fun and eclectic project. Our amazing clients collaborated with us to select the fabrics for the den's custom Roche Bobois Mah Jong sofa and we also customized a vintage swedish rug from Doris Leslie Blau. for the Living Room Our biggest challenge was to capture the space under the Staircase so that it would become usable for this family. We created cubby storage, a desk area, coat closet and oversized storage. We even managed to fit in a 12' ladder - not an easy feat! Photographed by: James Salomon

This two-car garage storage system includes four cabinets and a stack of drawers for storage of everyday items, as well as concealed storage behind sliding closet doors and vertical storage of bulky sports equipment, including surfboards and bike racks. Custom storage accessories open up the space.

This stylish, family friendly kitchen is also an entertainer’s dream! This young family desired a bright, spacious kitchen that would function just as well for the family of 4 everyday, as it would for hosting large events (in a non-covid world). Apart from these programmatic goals, our aesthetic goal was to accommodate all the function and mess into the design so everything would be neatly hidden away behind beautiful cabinetry and panels. The navy, bifold buffet area serves as an everyday breakfast and coffee bar, and transforms into a beautiful buffet spread during parties (we’ve been there!). The fridge drawers are great for housing milk and everyday items during the week, and both kid and adult beverages during parties while keeping the guests out of the main cooking zone. Just around the corner you’ll find the high gloss navy bar offering additional beverages, ice machine, and barware storage – cheers! Super durable quartz with a marbled look keeps the kitchen looking neat and bright, while withstanding everyday wear and tear without a problem. The practical waterfall ends at the island offer additional damage control in bringing that hard surface all the way down to the beautiful white oak floors. Underneath three large window walls, a built-in banquette and custom table provide a comfortable, intimate dining nook for the family and a few guests while the stunning chandelier ties in nicely with the other brass accents in the kitchen. The thin black window mullions offer a sharp, clean contrast to the crisp white walls and coordinate well with the dark banquette. Thin, tall windows on either side of the range beautifully frame the stunningly simple, double curvature custom hood, and large windows in the bar/butler’s pantry allow additional light to really flood the space and keep and airy feel. The textured wallpaper in the bar area adds a touch of warmth, drama and interest while still keeping things simple.

Angle Eye Photography
Inspiration for a large timeless brick floor mudroom remodel in Philadelphia with gray walls and a white front door

A custom built room for LEGO storage also provides a backdrop for a Media Room and a nearby bar. John Wilbanks Photography
Basement - transitional underground basement idea in Seattle with gray walls, no fireplace and a bar

A PLACE TO GATHER Location: Eagan, MN, USA This family of five wanted an inviting space to gather with family and friends. Mom, the primary cook, wanted a large island with more organized storage – everything in its place – and a crisp white kitchen with the character of an older home. Challenges: Design an island that could accommodate this family of five for casual weeknight dinners. Create more usable storage within the existing kitchen footprint. Design a better transition between the upper cabinets on the 8-foot sink wall and the adjoining 9-foot cooktop wall. Make room for more counter space around the cooktop. It was poorly lit, cluttered with small appliances and confined by the tall oven cabinet. Solutions: A large island, that seats 5 comfortably, replaced the small island and kitchen table. This allowed for more storage including cookbook shelves, a heavy-duty roll out shelf for the mixer, a 2-bin recycling center and a bread drawer. Tall pantries with decorative grilles were placed between the kitchen and family room. These created ample storage and helped define each room, making each one feel larger, yet more intimate. A space intentionally separates the upper cabinets on the sink wall from those on the cooktop wall. This created symmetry on the sink wall and made room for an appliance garage, which keeps the countertops uncluttered. Moving the double ovens to the former pantry location made way for more usable counter space around the cooktop and a dramatic focal point with the hood, cabinets and marble backsplash. Special Features: Custom designed corbels and island legs lend character. Gilt open lanterns, antiqued nickel grilles on the pantries, and the soft linen shade at the kitchen sink add personality and charm. The unique bronze hardware with a living finish creates the patina of an older home. A walnut island countertop adds the warmth and feel of a kitchen table. This homeowner truly understood the idea of living with the patina of marble. Her grandmother’s marble-topped antique table inspired the Carrara countertops. The result is a highly organized kitchen with a light, open feel that invites you to stay a while. Liz Schupanitz Designs Photographed by: Andrea Rugg

Dual floating vanities with center tall storage cabinet
Mid-sized trendy master white tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile bathroom photo in Seattle with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, an undermount sink, quartz countertops and white walls

The master bathroom was designed for clients who have a true appreciation for clean lines, symmetry, and simple beauty. They desired a space that checked the box on each of these aesthetic details while maximizing function and storage within each area of this space. This was achieved by providing separate his and hers vanities, a designated makeup station, ample tall storage, and a feature wall to backdrop the bathtub. If standing in the center of this bathroom, one would find that both sides of this bathroom are a mirror image of one another. The makeup vanity is centered on the front wall and is captured by identical floor to ceiling linen storage cabinets with a combination of drawer and door storage. Tall narrow columns were set on the sides of these linen cabinets, which each have a hidden frameless flush inset touch latch door concealing medicine cabinet storage. These columns are finished in a dark textured laminate with vertical grain to emphasize the ceiling height and give a clean contrast to the light linen cabinet finish throughout the rest of the space. Back-to-back are the his and hers vanities that provide quite a bit more storage. Bringing in the element of aged brass cabinet hardware and decorative light fixtures added the perfect amount of soft glam to complete this elegant bathroom.

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

In the dining room, we added a walnut bar with an antique gold toekick and antique gold hardware, along with an enclosed tall walnut cabinet for storage. The tall dining room cabinet also conceals a vertical steel structural beam, while providing valuable storage space. The original dining room cabinets had been whitewashed and they also featured many tiny drawers and damaged drawer glides that were no longer practical for storage. So, we removed them and built in new cabinets that look as if they have always been there. The new walnut bar features geometric wall tile that matches the kitchen backsplash. The walnut bar and dining cabinets breathe new life into the space and echo the tones of the wood walls and cabinets in the adjoining kitchen and living room. Finally, our design team finished the space with MCM furniture, art and accessories.

Elevate Wine Storage Systems are one-of-a-kind wine storage systems that incorporate clear acrylic wine cradles held by solid stainless steel rods. These secure rods are supported by a base and soffit unit, illuminated with LED display lighting. This proprietary product is designed and manufactured by Kessick Wine Cellars. Kessick sells wholesale to the trades and ships to the entire US and international. Photo by Drew Kelly

Unique design details found throughout this kitchen bridge the gaps between classic, modern, industrial, and eclectic. Rare and intricate combinations of tile, wood, steel, aluminum, and Dekton create a comfortable large kitchen with harmonious balance. Classic white cabinets with stainless steel toe kick are contrasted by the large walnut island with a taller coordinating toe. Floating in complete disguise is the 1.2 cm ultra thin countertop by Dekton rarely seen in a classic kitchen application. Walnut shelves float on the white stamped tin patterned tile and are grounded with the industrial stainless tambour appliance garage. The 3" thick floating bistro bar top by Dekton cantelivers nearly three feet with minimal visual support giving ample knee space to those who lounge at the table. The two island kitchen with an eating bar and breakfast table solved every design dilemma a large long kitchen space can have. Functional spatial design combined with unique material selections and applications makes this kitchen truly the heART of the home! Photo Credit: Fred Donham-Photographerlink

This picture is of a built in buffet storage cabinet, known as a butler's pantry back in the days when this home was built. It serves as a great place to store the batteries, flashlights, tape, ruler etc. and always know where they are.

This growing family of six was struggling with a dysfunctional kitchen design. The center island had been installed at an odd angle that limited accessibility and traffic flow. Additionally, storage space was limited by poor cabinet design. Finally, doorways in and out of the kitchen were narrow and poorly located, especially for children dashing in and out. Other design challenges included how to better use a 10’ x 12’ room for children’s jackets and toys and how to add a professional-quality gas range in a neighborhood were natural gas wasn’t available. The new design would address all of these issues. DESIGN SOLUTIONS The new kitchen design revolves around a more proportional island. Carefully placed in the center of the new space with seating for four, it includes a prep sink, a second dishwasher and a beverage center. The distressed ebony-stained island and hutch provides a brilliant contrast between the white color cabinetry. White Carrera marble countertops and backsplash top both island and perimeter cabinets. Tall, double stacked cabinetry lines two walls to maximize storage space. Across the room there was an unused wall that now contains a 36” tower fridge and freezer, both covered with matching panels, and a tall cabinet that contains a microwave, steam unit and warming drawer. A propane tank was buried in the back yard to provide gas to a new 60” professional range and cooktop. A custom-made wood mantel hood blends perfectly with the cabinet style. The old laundry room was reconfigured to have lots of locker space for all kids and added cabinetry for storage. A double entry door separated the new mudroom from the rest of the back hall. In the back hall the back windows were replaced with a set of French door and added decking to create a direct access to deck and backyard. The end result is an open floor plan, high-end appliances, great traffic flow and pleasing colors. The homeowner calls it the “kitchen of her dreams.”

This custom tall cabinet includes vertical storage for cookie sheets & cake pans, space for a French door convection oven at the exact correct height for this chef client, and two deep drawers below.

Kitchen pantry - contemporary kitchen pantry idea with flat-panel cabinets and dark wood cabinets

The key to creating a desirable bedroom which inspires a blissful night’s sleep was not just down to the bed and giant custom designed headboard, it came with all the added extras. The over bed storage, all in white was created to reflect our client’s taste and to suit her individual requirement for additional space. We incorporated spotlights and adjustable lamps within the storage space to provide her with greater flexibility. A druzy quartz knobs with gem-like shine were handpicked by our client for a natural finishing touch.